Next Time
by UnOriginalOne
Summary: “Promise me.” “Promise you what?” “That next time it will be ok.” AU. Future fic. SV. SD1 October Challenge Entry.


Title: Next Time

Author: Chickiee-Dee

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Same as usual, I don't own a thing, I don't even own my mobile phone...

Summary: "Promise me." "Promise you what?" "That next time it will be ok." AU. Future fic. S/V. SD-1 October Challenge Entry.

Author's Notes: Now, I know I said that I was taking a break from writing till after exams, but I came across this challenge the other day and I just HAD to enter, it gives me a break from studying. And sad as it may seem, I really miss writing. Feedback is much appreciated. Updates for my other stories should start to surface around the end of November, hopefully.

Next Time 

"Ashley, Dana, come on!" Sydney called up the stairs. No one answered, so Sydney began to tap her foot on the wooden floor impatiently. 'Trust them to take all day' she thought. She was about to call to out again when Dana came trudging down the stairs, covered in a white sheet. Sydney bit back her laugher as her oldest daughter stopped in front of her. "I'm a ghost mummy," the six-year-old said proudly.

"Are you sweetie, I'd never have guessed."

"Really!" she said excitedly. Sydney smiled and nodded her head slightly. Moments later Ashley came down the stairs too, dragging a black, thing, behind her. "What's that Ashley?"

"It's my invisi-ma-bility cloak," she said with a nod of her head.

"How does it work?"

"I put it on like this," she wrapped herself up in the black item, "and now I'm invisi-ma-ble, and no one can see me."

"Ah, I see." Ashley nodded happily and wandered off in the direction of the living area, almost bumping into Vaughn as she passed. "Hey Ashley," he called but she didn't answer. He looked at Sydney strangely, "She's invisible, you can't see her."

"Riiight, I get it. Ashley's invisible and Dana is a ghost."

"Yeah."

"I don't think we should let them pick out their costumes next year."

"Why?"

"Syd, a ghost and someone who's invisible?"

"Vaughn, what do you expect? They're only little. What did you dress up as when you were their age?"

"Well..."

"See, they liked picking their own costume, if that's what they want to wear, then they'll wear it. At least their covered up...wait till their teenagers, you'll want them to walk around in bedding."

"Very funny Syd, lets hope that this kid isn't as crazy as those two," Vaughn said, resting his hand on Sydney's still flat stomach. "I reckon this one's a boy," Sydney told him with certainty.

"How do you know?"  
"I just know."

"I love you Syd, have I told you that recently?"  
"Not since last night. And for the record, I love you too." Vaughn leaned over and kissed her gently. "Ewwwwwww," two voices whined from around the corner. Sydney moved away from Vaughn and went over to where the girls were standing, plastic bags clutched in their small hands. "Come on, lets go," she told them and they happily skipped towards the door. Sydney grabbed Vaughn's hand, leading him out onto the path, where dozens of small children could be seen walking up and down the street with their parents.

Sydney and Vaughn maintained a safe distance behind the two girls as they made their way around the neighbourhood, collecting more than enough candy to last them a month. They were approaching one of their neighbours' houses when Ashley screamed. "Mummy! Daddy!" she yelled as she came running back towards them, Dana not far behind. Vaughn scooped his daughter up, letting her bury her head in his shoulder. "Ashley, what's wrong?" she wrapped her 'cloak' back around her, and mumbled into Vaughn's shoulder. "The jack-o-lantern scary," she said pointing at the house that stood before them. Various jack-o-lanterns were sitting along the front garden and witches were 'flying' in the windows. Sydney and Vaughn looked towards the lantern that Ashley was pointing at, and noticed that it had a slightly 'scarier' expression on its face than the others. Dana stood there impatiently while her younger sister cried into her fathers shoulder. "Mummmyyy," she whined, "I want candy!" Sydney rolled her eyes and grabbed Dana's hand, leading her up to the front door.

Dana banged on the door, before stepping back and waiting for someone to answer. A young man opened the door and Dana held out her bag, "Trick or treat," she said sweetly. The young man chuckled at the little girl standing before him, "Cute costume," he said to Sydney as he reached inside and grabbed a bowl off the table next to the door. "Here you are sweetie," he said to Dana as he dropped some candy into her bag.

"Thank you, can I please have some for my sister?" He turned to Sydney,

"Did you want some?" She laughed and shook her head,

"Not me, her little sister, over there," Sydney indicated Vaughn and Ashley, who were standing at the end of the path. He nodded, "Of course." He gave Dana some more candy and she ran off down the path happily. "Thanks for that. Her sister was scared of your jack-o-lantern."

"No problem, it's sweet that she would think of her sister like that, I never did when I was little. How bout you?"

"I'm an only child. Never had to worry about it." Sydney winced slightly and rubbed her stomach. "Sorry, I have to go." She turned and walked back towards Vaughn and the girls. "Syd, you ok?" he asked when he noticed the pained expression on her face. She shook her head. "Come on girls, we're going home." Ashley and Dana ran ahead as Vaughn wrapped his arm around Syd's waist. "Vaughn," she said in a small voice, "I think there's something wrong with the baby." His eyes widened, and he sat her down by the side of the road, "Syd, sit here, I'm going to get the car. Ashley, Dana, come here." The two girls came running back to them. "Sit here with mummy." The girls sat down and Vaughn ran off towards their house.

Half an hour later they entered the emergency room of the nearest hospital. By that point the pain was getting steadily worse and Sydney had small tears trickling down her cheeks. Ashley and Dana came into the hospital behind Sydney and Vaughn, carrying their bags of candy. Vaughn approached the desk, Sydney only managed to make it to the nearest chair, sitting down and clutching her stomach. "I need help," Vaughn yelled into the window. A short, chubby woman came to the window, "How can I help you sir?"

"My wife, she's in pain."

"Well, take a seat and I'll get someone to look at her in as soon as possible."

"You don't understand, she's pregnant." The woman turned and called a nurse over, quickly explaining the situation. The woman pressed a button and the doors opened. A tall blonde woman walked out and over to Vaughn, "Where is she?" Vaughn motioned to Sydney who was sitting in the chair, hugging her stomach as tears slid down her cheeks. Ashley and Dana were sitting next to her, stuffing themselves with candy. "Come with me." Vaughn helped Sydney to her feet, walked through the doors with her, the girls following behind.

Twenty minutes later Sydney was lying on one of the beds, Vaughn's hand clasped in her own. Ashley and Dana had been taken to another room by one of the nurses and were happily playing with dolls in between bites of their candy. "Mrs Vaughn," a male voice said, as he approached. "I'm Doctor Baker." He flipped quickly through Sydney's file and set it next to her on the bed. "How far along in your pregnancy are you?"

"Nine weeks."

"Are you still experiencing the pain you described earlier?"

"Yes. Its been getting worse."

"I'd like to preform an ultrasound, someone should be along shortly to conduct that."

"Ok." Dr Baker left and Vaughn rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand. Looking into Sydney's eyes, he noticed the fresh tears, which had begun to trickle down. "Sweetie, it'll be ok."

"What if it's not? What if we lose the baby?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Don't worry, if we lose the baby it's not the end of the world, we can always make more," he said, a hint of humour in his voice. Vaughn wiped the tears from her eyes and kissed her forehead softly. A nurse approached them, bringing with her the machine to preform Sydney's ultrasound. Sydney's shirt was lifted up and some of the jelly was squeezed onto her stomach. The woman began to move the wand over Sydney's stomach, trying to find the baby's heartbeat. The longer the silence went on, the tighter Sydney gripped Vaughn's hand. Doctor Baker came over again, and watched the screen intently. He noticed a small sack on the screen and pointed it out to Sydney and Vaughn, "Do you see that?" Both nodded, "that us your baby, it hasn't taken on foetus form. I'm sorry." Sydney's eyes welled up with tears and they slid down her cheeks, dropping onto the sheets. Several tears rolled down Vaughn's cheeks and he wiped them away. The nurse and Dr Baker removed the equipment and left Sydney and Vaughn alone.

Two days later Sydney was at home, resting in bed when Vaughn came in to see her. "Hey sweetie, how you feeling?" She was silent. He looked over to the bedside table and noticed the tray of breakfast sitting there, untouched. "Syd, you have to eat." She turned away, burying herself deeper in the sheets. "Sydney, please say something." Again she ignored him. Growing tired of her silence Vaughn left the room, leaving Sydney to wallow in her own self-pity.

When Ashley and Dana came home that afternoon, they each had a picture for Sydney. "Daddy, we made these for mummy!" Dana yelled as they ran through the door, Jack following close behind. "Do you want to take them up to mummy?" the girls nodded and ran up to Syd and Vaughn's bedroom. "How is she?" Jack asked once the girls were gone. "She won't say anything, and she's not eating. I'm worried about her."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, her mother was the same."

"Huh?"

"When Sydney was a baby, Irina had a miscarriage. Do you want me to talk to her?"

"I'm just gonna give her some space, let he deal with it in her own time."

"If you want me to look after the girls again, just let me know."

"Sure." Jack went up to say hello to Sydney and came back a couple of minutes later to say goodbye to Vaughn. Once Jack had left, Vaughn sat down at the table, pulling out a pad and pen.

After the girls had been put to bed, Vaughn went back into the bedroom. Sydney was still lying there, staring into space. He set another tray next to her, sitting the folded up piece of paper in front of the plate. Silently he left the room. Sydney stared at the paper for a few minutes before picking it up,

_Syd, _

_I know there isn't much I can say to lessen the pain that you're feeling now. But shutting everyone out isn't the answer. What happened wasn't your fault, and I don't blame you, I never could. It just wasn't meant to be. It wasn't the right time for us to have another baby. It will be one day. Please Syd, don't shut us out, Ashley and Dana need you. I need you. I know its no consolation, but please believe that there will be a next time. _

_All my love,_

_Vaughn. _

Sydney wiped away the tears that had fallen, and got out of bed for the first time in days. Her legs were slightly unsteady, but she managed to walk out to the kitchen where Vaughn was standing at the bench, loading dishes into the dishwasher. She approached him from behind, wrapping her arms around his middle. Vaughn turned to face her and she cried for the first time since they left the hospital. "Promise me," she said suddenly.

"Promise you what?" he asked, somewhat confused.

"That next time it'll be ok."

"I promise," he said, sealing it with a kiss.

**_The End_**

A/N: What did you think?? Was it good? Bad? Totally crap? Challenge elements were; a ghost, (real or apparition); an invisibility cloak, (pretend or real); a letter to someone; a jack-o-lantern. I'll update my other stories after I get back from Melbourne. Until then, thanks for reading. :lol: Alyce :D


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